akaemzybabe
Young Bun
Hi All
I'd be most grateful for your advice and support
I recently adopted a female rabbit aged 3-4 brought her home and quarantined her as I wanted to give her a 28 day worming course prior to bonding her with my bereaved male rabbit.
Tuesday last week we went to the vets and she had her VHD vaccination as the rescue I adopted her from hadn't vaccinated her for this. The vet agreed she was quite under weight and I said I was working to build her up with a little more food and plenty of free-range time.
She had been doing really well happily eating everything and generally a lovely character. I did notice she was drinking more than a normal rabbit as this was from a bowl I assumed her large dewlap might have been soaking up some of the water. I replaced the bowl for a bottle and 300ml was emptied from the bottle within 24 hours
I then had to rush her to the vets on Friday morning (a different vet to the VHD vaccine as they are much closer) as I found her covered in wee and very off colour. I explained the drinking to the vets and we decided to treat for a kidney/UTI. She was prescribed the antibiotic septrin and the pain-relief metcam.
I brought her inside and kept her in my bathroom which is cooler than the rest of my house - she spent a lot of time sat on top of her snuggle safe so she must have been cold even inside.
The next day I took her back to the vets as overnight she had passed a lot of mucus and had a very loud gurgling tummy. We saw a different vet and I asked about coccidosis and he said this is why I've been given the antibiotic septrin and the 10 day course shes been prescribed is sufficient to clear to coccidosis. He also said her kidneys were small but her liver enlarged.
I syringe fed her every 3 hours for the first couple of days although she would eat veg by herself.
I'm being very careful to continue to quarantine her and am disinfecting daily.
I'd also like to add that shes been very skinny since I adopted her - I initially put this down muscle wastage thinking she had been kept in a little hutch and over fed and now having lost weight with a correct diet had very little muscle on her. I now think this is probably a sign of an under lying issue.
She is now much better in her self eating, active inquisitive. I'm not giving her many pellets as I was finding her poos a little loose now her appetites back. However now she is looking much better she is back to drinking 300ml in 24 hours
I have considered all the possible long term issues we could have here - kidney failure, liver failure and diabetes and would be very greatful to hear your thoughts on what it could be from the symptoms I have listed above?
I am quite pessimistic that she will make a full recovery if it is any of the above will having a proper diagnosis from blood samples enable her to have a longer and better quality of life or are they all relatively untreatable in rabbits?
Once her tummies settled I'd like to feed her up but am worried about sugar intake and calcium intake. I thought about alfalfa hay and some barley rings but any suggestions would be very welcomed.
I also need to add that neither of the 3 vets I have seen are bunny savvy - If anyone can recommend a good vet in Dorset I'd be very grateful.
I'm sorry I probably havent typed this out very clearly I'm exhausted from getting up throughout the night and worrying my brain is fried.
I'd be most grateful for your advice and support
I recently adopted a female rabbit aged 3-4 brought her home and quarantined her as I wanted to give her a 28 day worming course prior to bonding her with my bereaved male rabbit.
Tuesday last week we went to the vets and she had her VHD vaccination as the rescue I adopted her from hadn't vaccinated her for this. The vet agreed she was quite under weight and I said I was working to build her up with a little more food and plenty of free-range time.
She had been doing really well happily eating everything and generally a lovely character. I did notice she was drinking more than a normal rabbit as this was from a bowl I assumed her large dewlap might have been soaking up some of the water. I replaced the bowl for a bottle and 300ml was emptied from the bottle within 24 hours
I then had to rush her to the vets on Friday morning (a different vet to the VHD vaccine as they are much closer) as I found her covered in wee and very off colour. I explained the drinking to the vets and we decided to treat for a kidney/UTI. She was prescribed the antibiotic septrin and the pain-relief metcam.
I brought her inside and kept her in my bathroom which is cooler than the rest of my house - she spent a lot of time sat on top of her snuggle safe so she must have been cold even inside.
The next day I took her back to the vets as overnight she had passed a lot of mucus and had a very loud gurgling tummy. We saw a different vet and I asked about coccidosis and he said this is why I've been given the antibiotic septrin and the 10 day course shes been prescribed is sufficient to clear to coccidosis. He also said her kidneys were small but her liver enlarged.
I syringe fed her every 3 hours for the first couple of days although she would eat veg by herself.
I'm being very careful to continue to quarantine her and am disinfecting daily.
I'd also like to add that shes been very skinny since I adopted her - I initially put this down muscle wastage thinking she had been kept in a little hutch and over fed and now having lost weight with a correct diet had very little muscle on her. I now think this is probably a sign of an under lying issue.
She is now much better in her self eating, active inquisitive. I'm not giving her many pellets as I was finding her poos a little loose now her appetites back. However now she is looking much better she is back to drinking 300ml in 24 hours
I have considered all the possible long term issues we could have here - kidney failure, liver failure and diabetes and would be very greatful to hear your thoughts on what it could be from the symptoms I have listed above?
I am quite pessimistic that she will make a full recovery if it is any of the above will having a proper diagnosis from blood samples enable her to have a longer and better quality of life or are they all relatively untreatable in rabbits?
Once her tummies settled I'd like to feed her up but am worried about sugar intake and calcium intake. I thought about alfalfa hay and some barley rings but any suggestions would be very welcomed.
I also need to add that neither of the 3 vets I have seen are bunny savvy - If anyone can recommend a good vet in Dorset I'd be very grateful.
I'm sorry I probably havent typed this out very clearly I'm exhausted from getting up throughout the night and worrying my brain is fried.